Welcome to the first edition of Artifact, Appetite & Aperture, an ambling chronicle that wanders throughout the American West and toward the sunset, wherever that may be. Kickback and let me introduce you to some of the exceptional people, places and style that I discover through the collaborations and assignments as a photographer and contemporary design sleuth.

Rolling with a Suitcase Heart

Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Jesse Macht released his first music video from the upcoming album Suitcase Heart last week. He came up to Montana this past spring and our shoot was a bit of an adventure. We road tripped through Paradise Valley and around the Crazy Mountains, had a ruckus evening with friends and family at the Mint Bar and Murray Bar, as well as cruised Main street in Livingston. Glass artist Ona Magaro joined us as the “muse” representing the idea of a hidden self and continuing an ongoing fascination with fire and burning guitars. The idea for the video was to express an ambiguity in which we can perceive ourselves or our desires as told through a series of moments that could either be memories, reality, dreams or a combination thereof. 
See the video here:
National summer tour dates:

Mixing Painting and Photography

Art Walk and Opening July 25, 2014

Join me for a feast of the senses and a great time this Friday at the Livingston Art Walk. "Year of the Horse" is curated by sculptor Stephanie Revennaugh. My newest mixed media work will be showing alongside Stephanie’s gorgeous bronzes with additional beautiful, original work from Lyn St. Clair, Betsey Hurd and Joe Wayne.
The exhibit will be on display at the Center for Art and Culture until August 8th. 

For more information:

From Costumes to Clay

Lisa Jensen is a renowned costume designer known for her work on movies such as Grumpy Old Men, The Fabulous Baker Boys and, most recently, Jobs. Having relocated from LA to New Mexico, Jensen is currently journeying back to her roots as an artist in clay. Her work is superlative—large-scale coiled pots with a burnished finish and contemporary porcelain work with graphic glazing—and is featured at HandArtes Gallery in Truchas, NM. Lisa studied at the Alfred University College of Ceramics before she embarked in her costume design career. We met through a mutual friend and designer, Stephanie Sandston, years ago - pre digital in fact! I have slides in my archives from her first trip to Montana to prove it! 

(Look for an upcoming profile on Stephanie, as well: A production designer and art director who abandoned the city for a more rural life and started Greathouse Workroom custom furniture and interior design. Her new studio in Gallatin Gateway is on my must-shoot list.)

Follow Lisa's work on Facebook: 

Front Page Project

This month see Susie Hoffmann, of Envi Design, and David Koel, from CTA's beautiful Whitefish lakeside private spa. I had the pleasure of shooting the Mountain Living feature that showcases this stunning project as a cover story in the July 2014 issue—on newsstands or available as a digital edition. Both the architecture and Susie’s interior design work are clean, modern, and environmentally aware.
Read more and see the story here:
See the current digital issue of Mountain Living: